Premier League Predictor: Round 2 Picks

I had a pretty disappointing start to the Premier League predictor season last week. Bournemouth, Everton and especially Watford let me down but it's still early days and since Exact picks were pretty hard to come by in Round One, I'm hopeful of re-gaining some ground this weekend.

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There are some very tough predictions to make this weekend though! As usual, the Saturday 3pm games look to be the really tricky ones and we can expect the community to be pretty evenly split for many of them meaning those are the matches that become the most significant. Enjoy the weekend's action and let me know your thoughts on my picks in the comments section below!

Here are my Round Two Premier League predictions:

Arsenal vs. Burnley

Arsenal got the job done last week at Newcastle. Their performance wasn’t the most convincing, but that can be forgiven since they had a weakened starting eleven because of injuries and Ozil and Kolasinac being excused for personal reasons. Burnley had a very good win at home against Southampton in Round 1 but I can’t see them following it up with a point or three at the Emirates. Arsenal tend to be consistently strong against inferior opposition at home. Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Burnley

Aston Villa vs. Bournemouth

I was quite impressed with Aston Villa in their opening hour against Tottenham but once Spurs brought on a little creativity in Eriksen they struggled badly. It looked as if fatigue may have also been a factor late in the second half but that will improve and this looks like a winnable opening home game. Bournemouth were really disappointing going forward against Sheffield United and they’re usually strongest offensively. As with most games involving Cherries, it looks as though there’ll be goals available for both teams in this one. I’m really tempted to pick Villa but just don't feel sure that they'll quite seal the points. Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Bournemouth

Brighton vs. West Ham

I’ll be the first to admit that I was sceptical about how quickly Brighton could adapt to Graham Potter’s style of play but what a start they had at Watford! They now go into this one with confidence and you probably have to make them favourites after West Ham’s sorry showing in that 5-0 defeat against Man City. This is a tough pick because you never know what you’re going to get with West Ham and any team can lose 5-0 to City; they’re that good. I’m going with Brighton in their first home game of the season after that away win. Prediction: Brighton 2-0 West Ham

Everton vs. Watford

Everton let me down last week away at Palace but I’m backing them again this weekend, particularly after Watford’s loss against Brighton. It may take a little time for their team to come together but they do look stronger on paper than Watford and Goodison Park will expect three points. The Hornets obviously struggled defensively last week and I question whether they can fix those issues in time for this match. Prediction: Everton 3-1 Watford

Norwich vs. Newcastle

This is one of the most difficult predictions in the round in my opinion. Norwich looked good going forward at Anfield and will have a great atmosphere at Carrow Road for their first home game back in the big time but will also concede a lot of goals this season. The Canaries were involved in plenty of high-scoring games in the Championship last season but they’ll struggle to win such games in the Premier League. Newcastle are far from a great team but I think they can edge this game thanks to their greater PL experience and defensive stability that still remains from their time under Rafa Benitez. Prediction: Norwich 1-2 Newcastle

Southampton vs. Liverpool

Southampton need a big response in front of their own fans after being beaten 3-0 at Burnley last week and they have more of a chance than you’d expect in this fixture due to Liverpool playing 120 minutes in Istanbul on Wednesday. It’s still too risky to pick against Liverpool but I think the Saints will be very competitive at St Mary’s and Liverpool will of course be worried about their GK situation. There’s a good chance Klopp will rotate because of player fatigue but even if he does, the Reds should win this from the bench. Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool

Manchester City vs. Tottenham

Tottenham have a far stronger squad than last season and will be tough to beat throughout the campaign, especially at home, but City just look too strong for everyone. We saw some fantastic games between these two last season and this should be another great clash - Spurs have shown that they can compete at the Etihad but this test may come a little early for them this year. City will dominate the ball as they always do and it’s almost impossible to keep them from scoring because of their forwards having such great movement. Raheem Sterling is the best example and he could hit some fantastic numbers this season having already bagged a hat-trick in Round 1. Prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Tottenham

Sheffield United vs. Crystal Palace

This is similar to the Norwich v Newcastle game in that you have a newly promoted side that will be playing in front of a great atmosphere against a more established, but certainly beatable, Premier League club. Palace did well to keep a clean sheet against Everton last week and you’d expect them to be fairly solid again at Bramall Lane despite Sheffield United being quite an attacking side. The Eagles were good on the road last season and I think they should be strong enough to win this match if Zaha is back starting. If he's on the bench again, I may edit my pick. Prediction: Sheffield United 0-1 Crystal Palace

Chelsea vs. Leicester

Though Chelsea fell apart towards the end of their heavy defeat at Old Trafford, Frank Lampard will have been encouraged by their first half performance and then they looked the better side (despite losing on pens) against Liverpool in midweek. The signs are therefore still quite positive for the Blues, but this is another very tough fixture after playing in Turkey meaning a third loss in just one week is certainly possible. Leicester won this fixture 0-1 last season and they’ll be aiming for a similar performance here with Vardy breaking very effectively on the counter. I’m very tempted to pick 1-1 but let’s go with someone finding a late winner for Lampard on his emotional return to Stamford Bridge. Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Leicester

Wolves vs. Manchester United

A tricky Monday night game to finish with. Wolves had the better of Manchester United last season and are looking strong in this campaign but have played far more minutes than United. It's hard to tell whether that's a good or bad thing but United already looked like a completely different side last weekend thanks to Maguire and Wan-Bissaka. The visitors will be able to play on the break, as they like to, because Wolves will have a go and I think they can nick this one as a result. Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Manchester United

Good luck to you all in Round Two!